The Ultimate Sacrifice
by Kawaii Snowdrop
Summary: We all know the ending to the second movie of the httyd franchise. But...what if Astrid got there before Stoick? Would the events have changed? Would someone else die? T for dark themes


**The Ultimate Sacrifice**

 **A/N: This is an old angsty fic I found again – it's a little darker than the movie just so you know. I'll let interpret the ending as you wish, but don't think too much into it.**

 **Hope you like, and please review ;)**

 **WARNING: Character death**

Toothless was stalking towards him, teeth bared, eyes slits, snarling. Hiccup was backing away, stumbling, arms outstretched, face a picture of agony as he asked his best friend again and again what was going on. Toothless seemed incapable of telling him.

Astrid could tell something was wrong, could _feel_ it. She urged Stormfly to getting to where her fiancé was backing up against the ice, looking so innocent and frightened as he stared down Toothless. Jumping off her dragon before she even touched the ground, she sprinted towards Hiccup. He gave her a startled look and went back to telling the black dragon to "snap out of it!"

But Toothless was steadily approaching. For some reason he couldn't hear was his friend was saying. He opened his mouth and violet light poured out.

Astrid's heart stopped.

Time seemed to slow down. Astrid's world had contracted to one thing.

 _Hiccup_.

He was her supporter, her lover, her reason she got up everyday after her parents were killed in a fire. He was the one who told her when she was getting out of hand, the one who comforted her when she was distraught and the one she leaned on for everything.

She didn't know how she could live without him.

" _STOP_!"

In the brief moment they locked eyes again, Hiccup seemed to know what she was planning. As she made to jump in front of him, he shoved her away and she skidded across the icy ground as an explosion filled her ears.

For a few seconds she couldn't do anything but wait for the world to right itself again. Then she dragged her weight on to all fours.

"...babe..."

Her boyfriend was collapsed, covered in large chucks of turquoise ice. She scrambled forward to reach him and shoved them off her boyfriend. He wasn't, Hiccup couldn't be-

 _No_.

Stoick was beside her, turning his son's body over, throwing his helmet off and listening for any sign that Drago hadn't got his wish. The look on his face said everything.

"My baby! My Hiccup!" Valka sobbed and dropped to her knees. Stoick pulled her close and Astrid looked frantically between them.

"No- no! Hiccup you have to wake up! Come on babe..." She was shaking him, beating his chest weakly as her own felt like it was stabbed. A dry sob tore away from her mouth, "they think y-you're...d-d... _Hiccup please!"_

She was dimly aware of the other dragon riders behind her, but she couldn't care less. Hiccup was...

"Lass..." Stoick said, his voice breaking, "he's gone."

Astrid gave him her most wretched look and burst into floods of tears.

Toothless crept closer, but after seeing his rider so still, so pale, and his sun haired friend, the dragon lady and the man who was with his best friend's kin so distraught, he knew what had happened. Giving a heartbroken moan he backed away shaking his head mournfully, turned suddenly and ran.

"Toothless-" Astrid choked, knowing what he was going to do. She wanted to scream at the world for being so unfair. There was no way Hiccup could be alive now...he was gone.

Bending over the Hiccup's body, she gave his one last lingering kiss on his cold lips and stroked his cheek, her tears dripping on it.

"Why did you do it?" she whispered, caressing his face, "why did you save me?"

Then she was gently pulled away and Stoick's own tear stained face swam into view, "Let's...give him a proper send off, the way he deserves".

Astrid looked down at her fiancé, who she would never marry, who she would never bare his children for, who she would never see laugh and say his awkward, dorky, sarcastic comments which always cracked her up.

She looked back at Stoick and nodded.

Later, much later, as she stood and watched the burning ship in the horizon, she felt the weight of grief pull on her shoulders. She had no more tears left to give. She wouldn't forget Hiccup. He'd still be alive in her heart, however damaged it might be.

 _Hey_.

Astrid's head whipped to the side. Her fiancé and his dragon were standing, grinning, carefree.

Her breath hitched.

 _What's wrong?_

He was coming closer, pain for her etched on his features. She blinked rapidly, but he didn't disappear. The stabbing pain in her chest loosened slightly, becoming merely a dull ache.

"I thought you were gone..." She murmured.

 _I won't ever leave you if you don't want me to._

He gave her a sad smile, reached up and cupped her chin. Astrid gave a small half-smile back.

"Why?"

 _You know why. I love you._

"Stay with me...for a little longer?"

 _Always_.

He lent in and kissed her cheek.

"Hey, Astrid?" Ruffnut touched her shoulder hesitantly, "they have a plan to defeat Drago..."

"Right," she turned and watched as Ruffnut walked back to the group. She glanced at Hiccup and he slipped his hand in hers.

"Together?"

 _Together_.


End file.
